Joplin eyes Spring demolition of Pennsylvania Viaduct; road replacement could wait until 2031
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The nearly century-old Pennsylvania Avenue Viaduct in Joplin could be demolished as early as spring 2027, but restoring the roadway may be another four years away.
During Monday night's Joplin City Council meeting, Public Works Director Dan Johnson outlined plans to remove the deteriorating bridge, which has been closed since February 2019 because of structural concerns.
The city is considering two long-term options:
Permanently eliminating the road connection between Fifth and Seventh streets
Replacing the bridge with a street-level roadway
However, Johnson said other infrastructure projects have exhausted funding currently available for the road replacement, pushing construction to a tentative 2031 timeline.
The city could delay its decision on whether to rebuild Pennsylvania Avenue until 2030.
In the meantime, crews would remove the bridge, improve the northern approach, and pave Pennsylvania Avenue to a new intersection at Artistic Alley.
Commercial Alley would remain open, but the roadway connection would not be restored. Temporary safety barriers would protect areas near the former bridge abutments.
Johnson emphasized that removing the bridge is a priority because of its deteriorating condition.
The demolition timeline will also depend on coordinating construction with nearby parking garage improvements.
Council members raised concerns about potential damage to neighboring buildings and the safety of tenants living near the structure.
Johnson said engineering consultants have evaluated two nearby buildings and expressed confidence that demolition can be completed without damaging either.
The city has also considered temporarily relocating nearby tenants during demolition because of dust and debris, with Joplin covering relocation costs if necessary.
Built in 1929, the viaduct originally allowed vehicles to cross railroad tracks serving the former Frisco building.
